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To ALL WHOM 1T MAY Aconocen:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WEBB, of Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Connecting the Ends ofl Railroad Rails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact' description thereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use 'the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, `forming-part of this specification,

in whichl Figure 1 is a top view of a joint or base-plate.

Figure is a side elevation of two rails connectedby the device of my invention.

Figure 3 is a transverse section, taken in the plane of the line x z', iig. 2, showing the attachment of the device to the ends of the rails. i Y

Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of one rail with the device of my invention attached.-

Figure 5 is a transverse section, taken in the plane of the line yy, tig. 2, showing the fastening of the rails and the joint-plateI to the sills. v

Similar letters of reference indicate likepartS.`

vThis invention relates to an improved deuic'e for connecting the ends ot'lrailroa-d rails, and consists of a wrought-iron plate made a little broader than the base of the rails, and placed under their ends to break joints. The base-plate extends under the rails to the sills on each side of the joint, and is spiked down upon them, so that the two ends of the rails rest uponV the plate, and are secured to it by meansfof a anged clamp and gibs and keys. Y i v v The advantages of this device are simplicity and cheapness, combined with strength, security, and durability which are posses-sed by the cnnectim.l It'secures the rails continuously with great rigidity, without excessive strain on any part of the metal, and is adapted to any form 4of rail,vrequiring only the ordinary spike and punch holes with noextra work on .the rail. It can readily be attached to rails broken by accident, by punching two holes only in the base with an ordinary guide-punch, without disturbing therails. 'Y

Fig. 1 represents Aa top view of the base or jointplate,A, which, as shown by iig. 2, Alies under the ends of the rails B Bf, and rests upon the ties or sills C C, to which'it-is'spiked with ordinary-hook-headed rail spikes. Rectangular holes, a a, are punched Vin the Vends of the plate A near one edge, for receiving .gibs to secure the rails 'to the plate, and preserve theline of the combination, and also to prevent the rail from upsetting, and from crawling onheavy gradesf Throughthe holes a a spikes vare driven into the sills; ,and in the middle part of the plate also, near on'eV edge, two other rectangular holes, b'b, are made for receiving gibs and keys to hold the joint clamp D As shown in figs. 3 and, 5, one side of the railsis laid ush'with the edgenof the-base-plate, and the rails and plate are held down together upon the sills C C by spikes c, the heads bearing upon the base of the rail in the ordinary way. But, on the opposite side of the rails, the plate projects outside of the base of the rail, and a spike, c, isY driven throughl each ofv theholes a`a, alongside lof the gib c', which passes throughl them and also throughordinai'y punch holes in the base of the rail, while the spikes c pass through the plate only, and fast/en it to the sills, as shown in figs.'4 and-5. The'joint-clamp D'is i plate Banged or turned up on one side,I in the usual manner of rail chairs, to catch .upon the base of therail, as shown in figs. 3 and 4, the flat part of the plate lying under the base-plate A, to which it is fastened by gibs, dd, which pass through the holes b'b of the base-plate, and hook upon the vbase of t'he rail, and which areforced up and held irl-place` by ordinary split keys, e e, which also pass through the holes b b, in the base-plate A. l

I am aware that various devices havcbeen employed for connecting the ends of rails, and that clamp-plates, gibs, keys, and spikes have been applied .to this purpose, thev use of which, separately and in any other connection or combination than that abovedescribed, I. disclaim; but,y n

i What I claimas new, vand desire to secure by LettersPatent, is A l. The joint-plate A, resting on 'the ties C, in'combination with 'the anged clamp AD and rail B, constructed and secured in the manner as'and for the purpose specified. t y l 2. The combination ofthcjointfplate A, flanged clamp D, gibs d, splitk'eys' e, an and` for the purpose specified. i

eno. WEBB.

Witnesses; v v

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